County Board challengers put Stroger on defensive

The four Democratic candidates for the Cook County Board presidency argued over the independence of the county health system and the controversial penny-on-the-dollar sales tax increase in a sometimes-testy debate Tuesday before the Tribune editorial board.

All three challengers to incumbent Todd Stroger attempted to distance themselves from some of the administration's policies, with one advocating an immediate repeal of the remainder of the sales tax. Another said the independent health board overseeing the county's public health system should be made permanent before it expires in 2011.

Terrence O'Brien, president of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District, told board members he favored axing immediately the remaining half-penny of the sales tax that the board recently voted to cut in half.

"I would do it immediately, because what happens is if you don't do it right away, then you start to become dependent on it," O'Brien said.

Circuit Clerk Dorothy Brown and Chicago Ald. Toni Preckwinkle, 4th, said they would eliminate the rest of the tax hike over time, while Board President Todd Stroger continued to defend the entire increase as needed.

On the issue of governing the county's sprawling system of clinics and hospitals, Preckwinkle alone said she would make the board permanent.

"I've said from the very beginning that we need to make this independent governing board permanent," Preckwinkle said. "If you look at their three-year life span they spent the first year and a half trying to persuade somebody good to come and take over the system because of the terrible reputation."

Stroger defended his record, saying he's delivered balanced budgets and protected vital services amid economic hardship. Stroger acknowledged it was a mistake for him to hire a steakhouse busboy for a county job -- a controversy that led to him ousting his cousin from the administration's top financial post. But he asserted that the media played up his few missteps while ignoring his successes.

"I think I've done a great job," Stroger said. "The county's had one tax in four years."

When O'Brien suggested Stroger was out of touch with the public, Stroger fired back, "I talk to a lot of people and I talked to you through the years, so don't tell me that crap."